Process of washing and drying clothes



FIP8309 SR HUIS! @MLU CATTON 0F TEXTILES L FIBERS,

9 L o o o o o A. R. WILLFORD. PROCESS 0F WASHING AND DRYING CLOTHES.

APPLICATION T ILED MAR. 8. 1917.

DRY/NG Roo/v1 usaron HOTTTTT lPatented Dec. 21, 1920.

ARTHUR R. W/LLFORD BY @MM AT TORNE YS UNITED STAT-ES ARTHUR R. WILLFORD, OF MINNEAPOLIS,

MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC OZONE COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNE- so'rn.

PROCESS OF WASHING AND DRYING CLOTHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 21, 192.0.

Application led March 8, 1917. Serial N0. 153,453.

To all wlw/ml 'it may concem.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR R. WILLFORD, citizen of the United St'ates, resident of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of lashing and Drying Clothes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the process of washing and drying clothes in laundries which consists in the regulated application 'of ozone both in the washing and drying operations.

The invention relates further to improvements in apparatus for applying the ozone in the washing and drying operation.

The invention consists generally in the method and in the construction and arrangement of the apparatus hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawing is a plan view, partly in section, of an apparatus embodying my invention and constructed to carry out my process.

In the accompanying drawing 2, 2 represent ozone generators, wherein ozone may begenerated by the application of an electric current, changing the oxygen of the air into ozone. 3, 3 represent washing machines of any preferred construction. 4 represents an extractor or centrifugal drier, 5 represents a shaker or tumbler, 6 a mangle and 7 an air pump or pressure blower. 8 represents a fan or volume blower, 9 a shaker or tumbler and 10 an inclosed drying-room.

The pressure blower 7 is connected with one of the ozone generators by a suitable pipe 11, and a pipe 12 with suitable branches, each provided with a valve 13, leads to the washing machine 3, the extractor 4, shaker 5, and mangle 6. The fan blower 8 is connected to the other generator by a pipe 15, and a suitable pipe 16 leads from the fan blower and is connected by branch pipes 17 and 18, having controlling valves 19 and 20. with the tumbler 9 and the drying room 10. I also prefer to provide anexhaust pipe 21 having branches 22 arranged within the drying-room 10 whereby the surplus air and ozone and the moisture carried thereby mav be drawn out of the drying-room 10.

In the washing machines the ozone is forced under pressure into and distributed through the wash-water, whereby as the clothes are washed the ozone is directly -applied to allportions thereof. In the extractor the ozone is distributed thoroughly through the clothes and permeates the entire b ody thereof, being carried along by the centrlfugal actlon of the water that is taken from the clothes. In the mangle the ozone is applied directly to 'the clothes as they are passed through the rolls, and in the vshaker the ozone is also distributed through the body of clothes.

It is especially essential in applying the ozone to the washing machines and the extractor that it. be forced through the water and the clothes by pressure, and for this purpose I employ the. air pump or pressure blower 7 which enables me to get any Vdesired pressure on the ozone as it is forced In applying the ozone With this process I eliminate the use of chemical bleaches and reduce the soap consumption fully 50% by the action of the ozone applied in the wash-water and I also reduce the time of washing and rinsing fully 50%.

From the washing machines the clothes are transferred to the extractor, where the ozone is applied continuously while the water is being extracted. From the extractor the clothes are passed to the shaker 5, which is of an inclosed type and in which all portionsof the clothes are subjected to the ozone and in which they are allowed to remain for a considerable period of time.

At the mangle the ozone is blown directly on the clothing so that it will be thoroughly saturated with ozone as it passes to the hot roll. The clothes then come out with a natural bleach, thoroughly sterilized and with a sweet, fresh odor. y

In the tumbler 9 and drying-room 10 the clothes are again thoroughlysubjected to the ozone, which gives a natural bleach and destroys all soap and laundry odors. In the tumbler and dry rooms the usual amount of heat employed for drying the clothes may ozone into contact with and be lessened as in the ozonized atmosphere provided .the clothes Will dry much faster than in the natural air.

By using this process I increase the life of clothes considerably by eliminating the usual chemical bleach and reducing the time the clothes remain in the water. The clothes are kept White with a natural bleach and free from any laundry odors and will be as fresh as when dried in the open air.

I do not limit myself to the details of the construction herein illustrated and described as the same may be varied in many particulars without departing from my invention.

I claim as my invention:

l. The improvement in the art of Washing and drying clothes, which consists in forcing body of clothes iny each step of the washing and drying operation.

through the 2. The improvement in the art of drying clothes which consists in submitting the Wet clothes, after removal from the Washing apparatus -to the action of a centrifugal extractor, and simultaneously forcing ozone into and against the body of clothes and causing it to be carried through the clothes by the centrifugal action of the Water.

3. The improvement in the art of washing and drying clothes which consists in forcing ozone through the body of the clothes in the washing operation, in the centrifugal Water extracting operation, in the mangling operation and in the tumbling and shaking operations, and finally completing the operation in a drying room containing an atmosphere of ozone, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th da of February, 1917.

' AR I-IUR R. WILLFORD 

